News

Ontario Moving Forward with Finch West Light Rail Transit Project

NEWS

April 27, 2015

As part of the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario’s history, the province is moving ahead with the $1.2 billion Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT) project — a priority transit investment in the City of Toronto that will bring much-needed rapid transit to communities along Finch Avenue West.

The LRT will create 11 new kilometres of rapid transit along Finch West from the new Finch West subway station on the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension to Humber College.

The project will help transform Finch Avenue West into a vibrant community, accessible to motorists, transit riders, cyclists and pedestrians. The LRT service will also move more people, faster through the busy Finch West corridor than the existing bus service.

Through the Moving Ontario Forward plan the government is investing in priority rapid transit projects that will connect to the GO Transit network and other transit systems across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). These priority rapid transit projects will increase transit ridership, reduce travel times, manage congestion, connect people to jobs, and improve the economy.

On April 16, 2015, Ontario moved ahead with its plan to unlock the value of certain public assets. This will provide the province with approximately $4 billion to build new transit and other priority infrastructure projects through Moving Ontario Forward.

Investing more than $130 billion over 10 years in public infrastructure ­— the largest infrastructure investment in the province's history — is part of the government's plan for Ontario. The four-part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people's talents and skills, building new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

QUOTE

“Ontario is committed to improving transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. This new LRT will help manage congestion, offer more convenient travel options and provide the foundation to support a prosperous city for the residents of Toronto. This is further proof of our government’s commitment to making the daily commute and quality of life better for Ontario families.”

— Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation

“The Finch West LRT will bring rapid transit to communities that need it the most, and evolve the transit landscape in Toronto. Commitment to this project, as well as other LRT projects like the Eglinton Crosstown, reflect the important investments being made to create a truly integrated and sustainability transit system for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.”

— Bruce McCuaig, President and CEO, Metrolinx

“The development of the Finch West LRT is a significant milestone for Humber and our surrounding community. In addition to improving access and making it easier for students and employees to get to the North Campus, having the LRT hub onsite will further campus development and our ability to provide our students with a quality learning experience.”

— Chris Whitaker, President of Humber College

“We applaud the government's investment in public transit and transportation, which are critical to fostering the knowledge economy and ensuring Toronto’s standing as a world-class city. This transformative project is excellent news for York University and the surrounding community. Over 10,000 of our York students will be within walking distance to the stations along the Finch West Corridor, and will benefit greatly from this new investment.”

— Mamdouh Shoukri, President of York University

QUICK FACTS

The province’s Moving Ontario Forward plan will make $31.5 billion available over the next 10 years for investments in priority infrastructure projects across the province and is expected to support over 20,000 jobs per year, on average, in construction and related industries.

Under Moving Ontario Forward, around $16 billion is being allocated to transit and transportation projects in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), and about $15 billion available for investment in roads, bridges, transit and other critical infrastructure in the rest of the province.

The environmental assessment (EA) phase for the Finch West LRT was completed in 2010. A separate environmental assessment for the maintenance and storage facility (MSF) for the light rail vehicles will begin soon. The MSF will be located along Finch Avenue West between Norfinch Drive and York Gate Boulevard. Preliminary design and engineering work on the project is ongoing and work is underway to ready the project for procurement.